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Upgrade your Gin o’clock with Flaviaristas-approved bottles. The Flaviar Community is a spirited bunch of booze buffs with a refined taste for a tipple. We would be mad if we didn’t use the collective power of sophisticated palates for something good, right?
To help you navigate the realm of Gins, we created this list of best-rated Gins based on the ratings and reviews of Flaviar Members. Rest assured, we’ve included only the best from different styles and brands.
1. Best Gin Overall
2023 is to be the year for Gin lovers, with a growing number of brands experimenting with new botanicals and exciting combinations. Here’s our absolute favorite:
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
Gunpowder Gin is the meeting of oriental spice and Irish tradition. Gunpowder tea, which is a form of green tea, lends the Gin a slightly spicy freshness.
It’s coupled with the other 11 botanicals, which give the Gin a citrus-led aroma and a bold taste. It’s an explosion of flavors in a bottle!
It’s coupled with the other 11 botanicals, which give the Gin a citrus-led aroma and a bold taste. It’s an explosion of flavors in a bottle!
It's also the winner of the Flaviar Community Awards 2019 — Flaviaristas know a good Gin when they see it.
“My all time favourite gin hands down. I could not recommend Gunpowder gin more. For me the gunpowder tea adds a peppery finish that carries on for a while after each drink.”- Nathan
2. Best Gins for Cocktails
The boom in Gins has inspired an accompanying explosion in Gin cocktails, particularly the G&T and Negroni, although the classic Martini is also enjoying a resurgence.
Best for Gin and Tonic: Hendrick's Gin
Nowadays, the market is full of fancy and adventurous Gins, but one must not forget the one that started the craze. Hendrick's Gin is so famous one would think it's been around since the beginning of time. It was actually launched in 1999, and after two decades, it needs no introduction.
Distilled in a bespoke still and made from various botanicals, macerated for 24 hours, the Gin stands out with its rose and cucumber notes that turn the booze that used to be "just a juniper concoction" into something spectacular.
“A classic must-have at home. Perfect for a G&T and garnish with some cucumber.” - Pierre
Looking for ways to upgrade your Gin & tonic? Play with garnishes. The general rule is to go for the garnishes that complement the flavor profile of Gin. Here’s a handy little guide to help you:
- Citrus peel, cucumber, and rose petals work well with floral Gins
- Lime wedges, grapefruit, and even olives work with dry Gins
- For savory Gins, try rosemary, thyme, and juniper berries.
Other popular garnishes include mango, strawberries, and even hibiscus flowers.
- Citrus peel, cucumber, and rose petals work well with floral Gins
- Lime wedges, grapefruit, and even olives work with dry Gins
- For savory Gins, try rosemary, thyme, and juniper berries.
Other popular garnishes include mango, strawberries, and even hibiscus flowers.
Best for Martinis: Tanqueray No. TEN Gin
The classic Tanqueray quality is augmented with fresh, whole citrus notes. Like all of their products, the exact formulation of Tanqueray No. TEN Gin is kept strictly confidential. But it is pretty well-known that the core Tanqueray botanicals are juniper (of course), coriander, angelica root, and licorice.
“Wow! Has it all: Body, balance, extended finish, and great flavor. Has become a staple in my bar.” - Steven
Best for Negronis: Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
Made with 47 botanicals and bottled at 47%, they also use a secret weapon typical to the Black Forest in the mix - lingonberries. It's become almost a cult-like Gin over the recent years, and in case you haven't had a taste of this flavor bomb, we can give you nothing else but a recommendation of the highest order! An extraordinary Gin. Period.
“A very complex gin that is much more interesting than most.” - Jami
“A very complex gin that is much more interesting than most.” - Jami
3. Best Gin for sipping
Does your love for Gin only go as far as a Cocktail, or can you imagine yourself sipping it straight? Here are our go-to Gins for sipping:
Barr Hill Gin
Barr Hill Gin has a peculiar secret: it is NOT overly complex. See, some Gins just go nuts with their recipe. Not Barr Hill. They keep it pure, clean, and straightforward.
They use just two botanicals—juniper and raw honey. The latter is already made up of countless botanicals collected by bees. When nature does such a fantastic job, there’s no need to manipulate the ingredients too much.
They use just two botanicals—juniper and raw honey. The latter is already made up of countless botanicals collected by bees. When nature does such a fantastic job, there’s no need to manipulate the ingredients too much.
“This gin is so good that adding tonic or lime just makes the drink worse. Having it over the rocks is the way to go and close to perfection. The honey flavor comes through nicely and makes this gin different than just about any I've had before.” - Timothy
OTHER BEST GINS FOR SIPPING:
4. Best Botanical Gin
The Gin category is enormous; from traditional styles to flavored Gins, Gins infused with herbs and spices to those that favor a single flavor - there is something for everyone.
There are hundreds of botanicals used to flavor Gin, but the following are the most commonly used: citrus, seeds & roots, rosemary, lavender, and chamomile.
There are hundreds of botanicals used to flavor Gin, but the following are the most commonly used: citrus, seeds & roots, rosemary, lavender, and chamomile.
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
For the Botanist Islay Dry Gin, the craftsmen at Bruichladdich use nine classic Gin aromatics and a whopping 22 additional local botanicals hand-picked the windswept hills, peat bogs, and Atlantic shores of the Hebridean island of Islay.
Some botanicals included: Orris root, cassia bark, coriander seed, Mugwort, Meadow Sweet, Lady's Bedstraw flowers, apple mint, downy birch, elder, gorse flower.
“My very favorite gin, delicate and complex, never disappoints.” - John
OTHER BEST BOTANICAL GINS:
Discover Gin flavors with these Gin-themed Tasting Boxes. If you would like to join fellow Spirits aficionados and a tasting expert in exploring the tasting boxes, there’s an ongoing Flaviar-Exclusive series of guided tastings called Unboxing Flavors. Turn yourself into a confident sipper!
5. Best Budget Gin:
You probably don’t have time (phew, who does?) to spend a few hours on research to find both tasty and economically feasible choices. Did you know that there are awesome Gins under $50? Luckily, we’ve cut out the guesswork for you. Here are some extraordinary Gins that won’t break the bank.
Beefeater London Dry Gin
Whether you're a Gin snob, an occasional drinker, or a complete Whisky-head, you'd be silly to ignore the constant quality of Beefeater. It makes the best G&Ts, and it's quite lovely neat.
We all admire the more high-end "24" edition, but you can never go wrong with the original. It won a medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition every year between 2006 and 2012, and any bar without this Kennington Spirit is an establishment not worth visiting.
We all admire the more high-end "24" edition, but you can never go wrong with the original. It won a medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition every year between 2006 and 2012, and any bar without this Kennington Spirit is an establishment not worth visiting.
“Great gin for G&T's, I'm not a straight gin drinker” - Jason
OTHER BEST BUDGET GINS:
5. Best London Dry Gin
London dry Gin is the world’s most popular Gin style. Despite its name, it's not always from London and can be made anywhere, as long as it contains only natural ingredients, and there are no added artificial flavoring and sweeteners.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Sipsmith represents a collective of purist craft distillers, whose take on classic London Dry Gin is one of the best you can get. Anywhere.
Jared Brown, Sipsmith master distiller, crafts each product personally, in batches never larger than 500 bottles a time. The outcome is a genuinely stunning Spirit — smooth, full of character, and true intensity of flavor.
“Love, love, love! This smooth dry gin was my introduction to the concept of sipping gin, and it's oh so smooth!” - Joanna
OTHER BEST LONDON DRY GINS:
6. Best Old Tom Gin
Old Tom style Gin was the first Gin made in the United States, and it was the kind of Gin that most of the classic cocktails were based on. If you haven’t had the Old Tom style before, think of it like a “Scotch-o-Bourbon-Gin”.
Ransom Old Tom Gin
There are a few Old Tom style, barrel-aged Gins on the market now, but Ransom was the first to give it a go. The list of botanicals is right out of the book: juniper, orange peel, lemon peel, coriander seed, angelica root, and cardamom pods, but their care and attention to detail is something special. This is a must-have for every serious cocktail nerd and nerdette.
“One of my favorite spirits of all time. Incredible flavor, smooth to drink -- behaves much more like a whiskey.” - Charles
OTHER BEST OLD TOM GINS:
7. Best craft Gin
Flaviar has had Craft Distillers’ backs since the very beginning. These industry mavericks aren’t afraid of tinkering with tradition and boldly innovating so that other brands stand up and take notice. They don’t want to give up experimenting. You shouldn’t either.
Black Button Citrus Forward Gin
Black Button Distilling added Black Button Citrus Forward Gin to their line-up, emphasizing orange zest and local hops. It seems like a small thing, but the difference works — so much so that Food and Beverage Magazine named it the "Official Gin of Summer."
“I got smells of vanilla and cherries, but it has a licorice flavor at the end. Really enjoyable!” - Daniel
OTHER BEST CRAFT GINS:
8. Best New Gin
Haters will say we choose it for the cute dog, but don’t let that little furball fool you, at Corgi Spirits, they’re known for more than just clever marketing.
This award-winning Corgi Pembroke Gin is a fine example of an extra smooth Gin that can deliver! With its notes of pink peppercorns, elderflower, lavender, chamomile, and citrus peel it goes great in different Liqueur-based Cocktails as well as neat.
9. Best Post-lockdown Gin
Now, we’re introducing good news for the Martini purists: Quarantine Gin. It’s a bold wheat-based London Dry Gin with a zesty, aromatic, and full-flavored character that comes from juniper, angelica root, licorice root, coriander, and orange peel.
It’s a perfect companion for your post-lockdown mixology endeavors and the missing puzzle for a proper Vesper Quarantini.
10. Best Non-Alcoholic Gin
They say If you’re not cheating you’re not trying, and why not cheat that pesky hangover that creeps into your bed every morning after a successful Cocktail party? And the best part of it, you don’t even have to cut down on those tasty G&Ts!
For that very reason, VERA introduced Vera Ginø, a great zero-proof Spirit that is a perfect substitute for Gin in your cocktails.
With its citrusy, floral notes mixed with earthy, piney sub-tones it will leave you thinking about that Adriatic retreat you always dreamed of going to.
What might we have missed? Tell us about your newest Gin discoveries in the comments.
For that very reason, VERA introduced Vera Ginø, a great zero-proof Spirit that is a perfect substitute for Gin in your cocktails.
With its citrusy, floral notes mixed with earthy, piney sub-tones it will leave you thinking about that Adriatic retreat you always dreamed of going to.
What might we have missed? Tell us about your newest Gin discoveries in the comments.
